03/08/2026
🌳 Tree Inspection – Looking Beyond the Leaves 🌳
Today I was carrying out a tree inspection for a Parish Council, and this mature ash is a great example of why appearances can be deceiving.
From a distance, the tree looks to be in excellent condition. The canopy is full, healthy and showing good vigour, with very little deadwood.
However, a closer inspection revealed a significant structural defect at the main stem union.
The tree has developed included bark, where two stems have grown tightly together instead of forming a strong attachment. Over time this creates a natural weak point, increasing the risk of the stems splitting under heavy wind loading or as the tree continues to grow.
During my inspection I found:
✔️ Healthy, vigorous crown.
✔️ Good overall physiological condition.
✔️ Extensive included bark at the main union.
✔️ A longitudinal cavity within the compression fork.
✔️ Minor deadwood requiring removal.
The important thing is that a defect doesn’t automatically mean a tree needs to be removed.
In this case, my recommendation was to retain the tree and carry out:
🌳 Deadwood removal.
🌳 A 15–20% crown reduction to reduce loading on the weak union.
🌳 A detailed inspection of the union during the works.
🌳 Ongoing monitoring as part of future inspections.
Professional tree inspections aren’t just about identifying problems—they’re about finding the safest and most proportionate solution while preserving valuable trees wherever possible.
If you have mature trees on your property and would like peace of mind about their condition, feel free to get in touch.
📍 Kent
🌳 Avenue Trees
📞 Contact us for professional tree inspections, reports and tree surgery.